Title: Call Me Mama: A Reader to Persevere

Author: Ife Akanegbu

Publisher: My Cute Prairies

Published: July 1, 2024

Pages: 57

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If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be an addict, this short narrative will transport you there. From the weight of guilt to the hope of redemption, the author portrays a picture of addiction that will make you reconsider your feelings about addicts.

The story opens with Mariam sitting in a car outside her daughter’s school, watching with binoculars. She is not allowed to see Zora. She has lost access to such privilege.

As someone who grew up with an addicted mother, I understand what it’s like to be a daughter and not have your mother around, which doesn’t always mean she’s not present. For example, Zora refers to Mariam as Aunty, even though she is her mother. She does this because she does not know Mariam is her mother. It took me back to the first nine years of my life when I addressed my mother by her first name. What I appreciated, though, was how the author helped me grasp how it feels from the mother’s perspective. The author’s writing style is poetic, allowing for honesty and grace.

Call Me Mama helps us empathize with the human parts of those who fall prey to addiction, and I love that about good fiction. Don’t just tell me someone is a villain; show me why. How did this person get to this point? What made them the person they are? In addition, we so often see the monster and not the person being held hostage in their bodies, a prison for their unhealed trauma.

“She wanted to beg, plead for another chance, promise that this time would be different. But the words died in her throat, strangled by the shame that had become her constant companion.”

Then, there is Mary-Joanna, a constant temptation. “Come on, let’s get out of here, have some real fun,” she says as they sit in the basement of a church. Her words are like a trigger that sends Mariam’s heart beating against her ribs until she no longer hears anything the speaker is saying, only the promise of relief from the dungeon of darkness she’s found herself in.

But, it is Zora who is the real salvation of Mariam’s story. The innocence of a child and the unconditional love Zora wrap around her mother’s neck offers Mariam the hope she desperately needs. Will she take it?

Ratings

• Plot Movement / Strength: 5/5
• Entertainment Factor: 4/5
• Characterization: 5/5
• Authenticity / Believable: 5/5
• Thought Provoking: 5/5
  

Overall: 5/5

Call Me Mama: A Reason to Persevere by Ife Akanegbu is Available Now on Amazon!

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